Metagame Pokemon Sword and Shield: UU Speculation Thread

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Notily

dirt rich
hello gamers

with the distribution of defog and spin getting cut down significantly, i could see hazard stacking becoming a defining aspect of sw/sh uu and sw/sh lower tiers in general. just from looking at the ou discussion thread, the number of spinners/foggers that actually have the typing or stats to hang around in ou seems pretty low so i'm assuming that the majority of these mons will be uu legal. not gonna comment too much on dynamax, in its current state it seems kinda broke but the games been out for two days so odds are we don't know the full mechanics of it.

spin:

these are the spinners i could see not having some kind of niche in ou that arent complete dogshit otherwise. hitmontop losing access to toxic sucks but hey it can still spin. seems like it loses foresight this gen so no spinning on ghosts. depending on the speed of this hypothetical uu a double dance set with spin / bulk up / cc / coverage could allow it to have some sort of offensive presence. torkoal dropping is somewhat of a toss up, with venusaur getting access to earth power and weather ball this gen sun could be a pretty strong playstyle in ou so who knows if we'll see it. claydol looks like it could be solid this time around. ground and electric immunity, fighting resist, and spin all in one slot is good role compression. on top of that it doesnt have to fear pursuit now which is nice. tsareena would likely do the same shit it does this gen so no comment there. eldegoss is the new regen mon on the block by the looks of it, sadly that and a good spdef stat is pretty much all it really has going for it. its best coverage move is pollen puff (???) and its support movepool is pretty limited but regen is broke so who knows. maybe some kind of spin / giga drain / synth / filler set could work? idk seems pretty ass. maybe move tutors will bless this thing somewhere down the line.

edit: apparently eldegoss gets sleep power / stun spore / leech seed which makes it a bit better than i originally thought. sleep inducers are pretty sparse this gen which could give it a niche.

defog:
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the potential defoggers seem to be more offensively oriented, which is nice considering the spinners i think will drop are quite passive with the exception of tsareena. hilomilo already summarized the appeal of g-weezing pretty well so not gonna comment on it. shiftry could have some merit as on offensive defogger given its decent offensive stats and high powered moves. having the option to run boosting sets with either np or sd gives it an unpredictability factor as well. braviary and noivern are two mons that i think would generally not run defog, but given the limited distribution of the move i wouldn't rule them out. cramorant is interesting to me (despite being ugly as fuck lol). water flying stabs complement each other nicely, and its ability could be good depending on the mechanics. its stats are middling but maybe water flying stab is enough to make up for it, slap an lo on it and it could be difficult to switch into. if sirfetch'd drops i could see it being a solid defogger, base 135 atk is good but its speed stat might keep it out of ou. access to sd, knock, and coverage options in brave bird pjab and leaf blade would make it a nice breaker as well. mandibuzz would be a nice defogger, but its tiering seems like it'll be tied to ou's annual aegislash suspect so not gonna comment on it.

rocks:

not going to go too in depth on these, given how most of the rockers seem pretty slow and bulky i think that what stays ou will largely be determined by what offensive threats evade the banhammer in the next couple months. the tiering decisions around dynamax will probably determine what rockers drop as well. that being said, im guessing that the mons above will be outclassed by something no matter what and thus we'll see them in uu.

coalossal is interesting, good bulk and a wonky typing gives it a cool resist spread that lets him get them up vs most of the hazard control mentioned in the ou thread. that being said its slow as balls and rock will always be an abusable typing on the defensive side which makes me think it'll stay out of ou. hilomilo already touched on duraldon so again not gonna say much. runerigus seems like it's facing heavy competition on both sides of its typing in ou, with aegislash and g-corsola as ghosts and hippo as a ground. that being said, it has a huge defense stat and ground typing is rarely a bad thing. should this thing drop i could see it being one of the premier fighting checks in the tier. mudsdale and sandaconda both fall into the "ground without recovery" category which makes me think we'll see them in uu (bye hippo).

spikes:

i think that spikes are going to be a big deal this gen, and of all the spikes setters available i'm sure we'll be seeing some in uu. these are the ones i think wont quite make it in ou, but could see some form of viability in lower tiers. roserade will likely fall, losing hidden power removed any hope it had of even remotely threatening ferro+pex. i also wouldnt be surprised to see frosslass ho being a popular archetype given the small selection of spinners. qwilfish and garbodor could both have some sort of viability as spikes setting fighting checks. i think qwilfish in particular could be a really nice glue mon due to its typing and intimidate, while still hitting a solid speed tier. golisopod would likely do the same thing its did in gen7 ru, not much to say on it other than i highly doubt it'll be ou. my thoughts about rocks coalossal apply to spikes as well, nothing else to add there. pincurchin is a bit of an oddball and the only reason i mention it is that its a flying resist with reliable recovery that will likely not be ou. its stats outside of speed and hp arent awful, and electric surge is a really nice ability. add on the fact that it has coverage to hit grounds, and it could be viable in some way depending on how the meta turns out.

hope u liked reading my rambling, excited for the new gen and to see if any of the predicts in this thread turn out to be accurate. also pls dont let dynamax ruin this gen if its turns out to be as bonkers as it is now thx
 
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Intelleon's movepool holds it back the most. Its notable moves are Dark Pulse, Ice Beam, and Hydro Pump, so not much. The coverage is okay, but it doesn't have the raw dual STABs that Primarina benefited from; however, the Pokemon does get U-Turn, so a Scarf set or a Specs set could be viable. At the moment, Intelleon seems to be RU at best. There are rumors that Focus Energy grants 100% crits, but that is currently unconfirmed.
It's probably gonna end up in UUBL, honestly.
It's way better than people expect- especially since Snipe Shot has +1 critstage.
Good SpA, great Speed, decent coverage... AND SNIPERCRITS ONCE SNIPER COMES OUT OFFICIALLY.
 

Estarossa

moo?
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When looking through the set of mons for this gen, I noticed a treasure from a lower gen that I think could really shine this generation tbh.

:sm/sigilyph:

With pursuit gone, life orb magic guard sets and tinted lens specs sets could be pretty great in this generation, depending on how fast it ends up being, due to their immense coverage and breaking potential, removing one of the main weaknesses of them from this current generation.

Depending on how the metagame forms and whether stall teams actually end up particularly viable in UU or not, it obviously would offer a pretty good stallbreaker too with calm mind + stored power and magic guard, as stall teams wouldn't be able to use pursuit to deal with it anymore.
 
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Sage

From the River To the Sea
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A few things ppl forgot that I think have the potential to end up being somewhat nifty in UU.

obstagoon.png
Bastard child of like, Ursaring and Heracross, the stats are actually quite good on this, and while no BD / E Speed was pretty disappointing, Flame Orb sets are gonna be quite strong with a good speed tier in 95 and STAB Facade / Knock Off with CC for coverage.

indeedee.png
Actually workable stats with same speed tier as Lele, Choice sets will probably be good, not sure if its gonna have the staying power to pull off Calm Mind. Psychic Surge will be great support for some of the frailer offensive stuff we get.

toxtricity.png
Very strong wallbreaker with Punk Rock doing 1.5x boost to Overdrive and Boomburst, Shift Gear sets will be viable for more anti-offense options. Speed tier / frailty will be less of an issue in a UU environment.

copperajah.png
Too much competition for this to stay OU most likely, it's gonna be quite good here and sort of fill the role that Mega Aggron / Steelix left behind in bulky slow Steel-type rocker, but it has more offensive presence with either Heavy Metal or Sheer Force sets, gonna be quite a nice addition.

Echoing onto what other people said, Tsareenas probably gonna be fantastic, definitely seems like the best of the Spinner options, Flygon once we get Home will be quite good, Noivern will probably be one of the fastest threats in the meta too. Should be fun to see what ends up developing.
 
Just bringing up other Pokemon that could potentially be good once UU forms following from some of the posts people have been talking about here. I'm not going to bring up ones that have already been mentioned much to not clutter this.

- Following up to Notily's post about hazards probably being a big factor in Gen 8, I think these Defiant users have the potential to be decent if this is the case. I'm not going to include Bisharp because once Home comes out and it gets Knock Off I expect it'll be OU. Anyways, Passimian has the potential to be a good scarfer or CB user in the tier and has less Fighting-types to compete against. It is also one of the few Mons that still gets Knock Off so I can see this Mon having some kind of niche. Braviary got a little buff this gen with getting Close Combat, which is nice for it and looks reasonable enough to have potential usage and can run plausibly run offensive or defensive sets.

- Surprised this hasn't been brought up and I overlooked it myself but Chandelure has a lot of potential to be great this gen. Pursuit is gone and the likelihood of Hydreigon rising to OU is extremely high, which gives it an easier time to pull off its sets effectively. Given Gengar also gets NP and will be OU this gen, I think Chand will face too much competition but find a great place in UU once again as a powerful breaker, sweeper, or potential scarf user. I can see this Pokemon being at its prime in comparison to previous gens if these conditions are met, poor Chand been neglected for too long ;-;

- These bulky Water-types are looking pretty good and have some likelihood of being UU. Jellicent has access to Strength Sap this gen, which makes it a strong physical check on top of having Wisp. Milotic is just a fat wall that has access to recovery, though it did lose access to Toxic until Home I presume. Seismitoad looks like it will do what it normally does and got access to physical Water-type STAB in Liquidation. I'm putting Mantine here because it's going to have a lot less competition, however it doesn't have access to Roost or Defog until Pokemon Home so it will take some time before it becomes decent.

- There are a lot of Dragon-types this gen and I'd presume these three would be the ones that don't make the cut for OU but have the viability to be UU. Haxorus now gets CC and First Impression (The latter I don't think matters as much?) so this could be enough for it to be okay in OU but if not I can see DD and SD sets being scary to handle. Maybe even CB sets with First Impression could be okay. Others have already talked about Noivern. Flygon might be meh till it gets Roost from Pokemon Home but 3 Atk DD sets have enough potential as a sweeper.

- Silvally got a boost to its Multi-Attack going from 90 to 120 BP, which is pretty good. Given it has the ability to be any typing I defo seeing at least one or maybe two forms of Silvally being prominent this gen with having access to Swords Dance, Parting Shot, and more importantly being one of the few Defog users we may have access to.

- Fairy-types are looking minimal in terms of which ones will be good. Sylveon has no competition with Florges anymore as a Cleric and Wish passer so it has even more potential to shine. It also got access to Mystical Fire so maybe there is potential for offensive sets or just the usual defensive sets with better coverage for Steel-types. I expect Gardevoir to potentially find a niche once again especially with Scizor being gone. Gardevoir is fairly flexible and Trace is a great ability especially as a revenge killer. I believe it still gets CM and Wish so maybe potential for more exploration here.
 
Hydreigon lost roost, but gained 3 new toys in nasty plot, dragon dance and hydro pump. Roost used to be used with defog and taunt sets but since it isnt an option i think we may see NP 3 attacks LO, specs and scarf as its main sets and maybe a dd set depending on how it plays out. Will hydreigon be gone and be a lost memory of UU or will it be thew new king/queen dragon of UU. We'll have to find out :3
 
Hydreigon lost roost, but gained 3 new toys in nasty plot, dragon dance and hydro pump. Roost used to be used with defog and taunt sets but since it isnt an option i think we may see NP 3 attacks LO, specs and scarf as its main sets and maybe a dd set depending on how it plays out. Will hydreigon be gone and be a lost memory of UU or will it be thew new king/queen dragon of UU. We'll have to find out :3
I see no reason that Hydreigon won’t be OU this gen. Even with the lack of Roost the addition of Nasty Plot makes Hydreigon disgustingly hard for defensive cores to handle if they lack Grimmsnarl or Unaware Clefable. It’s seriously a Pokemon that should be prepped for and has a multitude of coverage options and techs like Blunder Policy to abuse missed Fire Blasts and Focus Blasts or Belch which becomes Max Ooze and destroys Fairies while boosting its Special Attack to greater heights. Its awkward Speed tier is the only thing holding it back from being borderline stupid in OU imo.
 

earl

(EVIOLITE COMPATIBLE)
is a Community Contributor
Is Cursola will be UU, I think Galarian Corsola Will outshine it and probably be in OU because of Eviolite making it more bulkier?
But they function the same
View attachment 207212
@ Leftover
Abilities
- Curse Body
I think this is the best
- Weak Armor
Weak Armor is good, but hinders its already weak defense and in exchange it boost Cursola's Slow Speed which is kinda of a lackluster
Possible Moves
- Strength Sap
- Will-o-Wisp/ (I guess Scald)
- Whirlpool
- Hex/ Brine*

I dont know maybe this dead coral is untiered XD, but what do you guys think
It has 145 special attack and awful physical bulk (with only passable special bulk), this thing will be like a Chandelure that trades Fire STAB for water coverage and Strength Sap. Still likely outclassed by Chandelure, but in no way does this thing compete with Galarian Corsola.
 
Alright, I'd like to give my thoughts on Pokemon which may be playable in Underused. by the way, I will not talk about Dynamax/Gigamax because I already freaking hate this brainless and dumb ficture, I just hope this shit will be banned.

#818 Inteleon

Although Inteleon doesn't have the best movepool and not the best coverage, I can see this Pokemon being a pretty cool Revenge Killer thanks to its great speed tier and really nice SpA. Its signature move "Snipe Shot" can be cool since it prevents the opponent to bring a Pokemon like Seismitoad with Water Absorb to handle its attack. I can see Choice Specs being a staple and nice offensive pivot thanks to U-turn. On the other hand, Swords Dance may be really cool too even if Inteleon's attack isn't the best since it has access to Swords Dance and a wide movepool on the physical side (Liquidation, Sucker Punch, Ice Shard, Aqua Jet or Acrobatics to punish Grass-types).

#738 Vikavolt

Heeeeey, Vikavolt got Sticky Web which allows it to act as a slower but much bulkier and powerful Galvantula. Since it has access to Roost, it can be pretty effective as a Sticky Web user. I definitively can see something like Sticky Web / Roost + STABs.

#862 Obstagoon

Obstagoon looks like a pretty nice Pokemon to use especially with Obstruct which can force some 50/50 like Aegislash vs some Pokemon which deal damages on the physical side. I think this kind of set could be pretty nice with some Wish support : Guts Obstagoon. Choice Band Reckless with Double-Edge could be a decent breaker too with eventually Parting Shot and Trick/Switcheroo. Overall, Obstagoon has some nice stats and 3 great abilities which allows it to be a good threat in the low tier. Also don't forget it has a nice bulk of 93/101/81.

#275 Shiftry

Not a lot of change for Shiftry but it gets Heat Wave which is a more reliable attack than Focus Blast to hit Steel-types so I don't know, maybe it will be nice in low tier (to nuke Ferroseed ?).

#834 Drednaw

I do believe Drednaw can be a pretty nice Rain abuser like Kabutops. It's a bit slower that Kabutops but it has some extra bulk thanks to its higher HP. It also has access to Earthquake which is a huge advantage over Kabutops.

#836 Boltund

Too bad, like Luxray this Electric-type isn't part Dark (RIP STAB on Crunch). Thanks to Strong Jaw, Boltund get a STAB better than Wild Charge aka Thunder Fang and some coverage with Fire Fang and Crunch. I can see a Life Orb Boltund be a thing and a much more viable option than its Competitive set since it has a way better movepool on its physical side than special side.

#763 Tsareena

"Rapid Spin buff"

#584 Vanilluxe

Ohhhh shit.. Ninetales-A isn't the only Pokemon which can setup both Hail + Aurora Veil. Vanilluxe is basically a stronger Aurora Veil inducer which bring less support.

#344 Claydol

Claydol is another Pokemon which enjoy the buff of Rapid Spin but it got some nice tools.. especially Nasty Plot which is super nice for it.

#760 Bewear

Bewear was a cool Pokemon to use in gen7uu and it's now even better thanks to Close Combat which is a way better Fighting STAB to spam. This Pokemon will definitively be better. It also got Darkest Lariat which is a better way to hit Ghost-types than Shadow Claw.

#460 Abomasnow

Like Vanilluxe, Abomasnow got the Aurora Veil but it also got two great attacks : Earth Power + Leaf Storm. I can see Scarf/Specs Abomasnow being a thing in low tier, maybe not in Underused I don't know but it's definitively some good buffs.

#342 Crawdaunt

Like Bewear, Crawdaunt got a Close Combat which is really nice. It also got Nasty Plot.. I don't know, looks like meh on the paper but super fun to use especially vs shitty Pokemon which think that a Burn on Crawdaunt would be a big deal.

#237 Hitmontop

Once again [insert Rapid Spin buff]. Hitmontop enjoys a lot Rapid Spin thankt to Technician but it also got a great way to hit Ghost-type thanks to Brutal Swing + Technician (basically a 90 BP Dark-type move). This Pokemon looks so nice to use.

#675 Pangoro

Pangoro got 2 great STAB with Darkest Lariat and Close Combat. While Darkest Lariat may be controversial since it has access to Knock Off, Close Combat is once again a way better STAB than Superpower or Hammer Arm.

#282 Gardevoir

Since Gardevoir got Mystical Fire, we may be able to see in low tier some set which looks like Wish + Mystical Fire Delphox.. well I dunno.. maybe ?

#435 Skuntank

Ohhhh man, that one looks gorgeous ! Skuntank got Nasty Plot and it looks super fun to use with Sludge Bomb + Dark Pulse + Fire coverage.. I can't wait to try this one on low tiers.

#350 Milotic

You may think "Why did you put Milotic on this list Moot-Moot ?".. Well it got Dragon Dance and I just can't wait to test DD + Recover + Refresh + Filler Milotic...

#851 Centiskorch

This is a new Pokemon which looks dope. Thanks to Fire Lash, it can pressure a lot opponent's Pokemon and man.. it also has access to Knock Off, Coil, Leech Life, Power Whip, Will-O-Wisp... so much things which looks nice on paper. Thanks to the brand new Heavy-Duty Boots its typing isn't an issue since it can be immune to Entry Hazards !

#839 Coalossal

Alright so I don't know what to think about this Pokemon because it seems super iffy. It got a really bad typing (Rock-Fire) and some pretty meh statistics overall but on the other hand it has access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, Rapid Spin and even Scald.. jesus man I really don't know what to expect about this thing.

#863 Perrserker

Alright so this thing is slow (50 BS Speed..) and that really sucks because it can be a really nice Pokemon otherwise. It has a great ability : Tough Claws and a pretty neat Movepool with Swords Dance, Iron Head and Gyro Ball, Close Combat, Gunk Shot, Seed Bomb, Play Rough and even U-turn. I guess Choice Band Perrserker will be a cool pick !


Alright so I think I'm done for today lmao, I did something like half of the Pokemon of the Galar Region Pokedex, will try my best to do the the second half tomorrow. Overall there is a lot of things which looks like super cool and fun to use, but once again.. Gigamax/Dynamax are trash in my opinion and I would like to see some metagames without those fictures.
 
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Alright, I'd like to give my thoughts on Pokemon which may be playable in Underused. by the way, I will not talk about Dynamax/Gigamax because I already freaking hate this brainless and dumb ficture, I just hope this shit will be banned.

#818 Inteleon

Although Inteleon doesn't have the best movepool and not the best coverage, I can see this Pokemon being a pretty cool Revenge Killer thanks to its great speed tier and really nice SpA. Its signature move "Snipe Shot" can be cool since it prevents the opponent to bring a Pokemon like Seismitoad with Water Absorb to handle its attack. I can see Choice Specs being a staple and nice offensive pivot thanks to U-turn. On the other hand, Swords Dance may be really cool too even if Inteleon's attack isn't the best since it has access to Swords Dance and a wide movepool on the physical side (Liquidation, Sucker Punch, Ice Shard, Aqua Jet or Acrobatics to punish Grass-types).

#738 Vikavolt

Heeeeey, Vikavolt got Sticky Web which allows it to act as a slower but much bulkier and powerful Galvantula. Since it has access to Roost, it can be pretty effective as a Sticky Web user. I definitively can see something like Sticky Web / Roost + STABs.

#862 Obstagoon

Obstagoon looks like a pretty nice Pokemon to use especially with Obstruct which can force some 50/50 like Aegislash vs some Pokemon which deal damages on the physical side. I think this kind of set could be pretty nice with some Wish support : Guts Obstagoon. Choice Band Reckless with Double-Edge could be a decent breaker too with eventually Parting Shot and Trick/Switcheroo. Overall, Obstagoon has some nice stats and 3 great abilities which allows it to be a good threat in the low tier. Also don't forget it has a nice bulk of 93/101/81.

#275 Shiftry

Not a lot of change for Shiftry but it gets Heat Wave which is a more reliable attack than Focus Blast to hit Steel-types so I don't know, maybe it will be nice in low tier (to nuke Ferroseed ?).

#834 Drednaw

I do believe Drednaw can be a pretty nice Rain abuser like Kabutops. It's a bit slower that Kabutops but it has some extra bulk thanks to its higher HP. It also has access to Earthquake which is a huge advantage over Kabutops.

#836 Boltund

Too bad, like Luxray this Electric-type isn't part Dark (RIP STAB on Crunch). Thanks to Strong Jaw, Boltund get a STAB better than Wild Charge aka Thunder Fang and some coverage with Fire Fang and Crunch. I can see a Life Orb Boltund be a thing and a much more viable option than its Competitive set since it has a way better movepool on its physical side than special side.

#763 Tsareena

"Rapid Spin buff"

#584 Vanilluxe

Ohhhh shit.. Ninetales-A isn't the only Pokemon which can setup both Hail + Aurora Veil. Vanilluxe is basically a stronger Aurora Veil inducer which bring less support.

#344 Claydol

Claydol is another Pokemon which enjoy the buff of Rapid Spin but it got some nice tools.. especially Nasty Plot which is super nice for it.

#760 Bewear

Bewear was a cool Pokemon to use in gen7uu and it's now even better thanks to Close Combat which is a way better Fighting STAB to spam. This Pokemon will definitively be better. It also got Darkest Lariat which is a better way to hit Ghost-types than Shadow Claw.

#460 Abomasnow

Like Vanilluxe, Abomasnow got the Aurora Veil but it also got two great attacks : Earth Power + Leaf Storm. I can see Scarf/Specs Abomasnow being a thing in low tier, maybe not in Underused I don't know but it's definitively some good buffs.

#342 Crawdaunt

Like Bewear, Crawdaunt got a Close Combat which is really nice. It also got Nasty Plot.. I don't know, looks like meh on the paper but super fun to use especially vs shitty Pokemon which think that a Burn on Crawdaunt would be a big deal.

#237 Hitmontop

Once again [insert Rapid Spin buff]. Hitmontop enjoys a lot Rapid Spin thankt to Technician but it also got a great way to hit Ghost-type thanks to Brutal Swing + Technician (basically a 90 BP Dark-type move). This Pokemon looks so nice to use.

#675 Pangoro

Pangoro got 2 great STAB with Darkest Lariat and Close Combat. While Darkest Lariat may be controversial since it has access to Knock Off, Close Combat is once again a way better STAB than Superpower or Hammer Arm.

#282 Gardevoir

Since Gardevoir got Mystical Fire, we may be able to see in low tier some set which looks like Wish + Mystical Fire Delphox.. well I dunno.. maybe ?

#435 Skuntank

Ohhhh man, that one looks gorgeous ! Skuntank got Nasty Plot and it looks super fun to use with Sludge Bomb + Dark Pulse + Fire coverage.. I can't wait to try this one on low tiers.

#350 Milotic

You may think "Why did you put Milotic on this list Moot-Moot ?".. Well it got Dragon Dance and I just can't wait to test DD + Recover + Refresh + Filler Milotic...

#851 Centiskorch

This is a new Pokemon which looks dope. Thanks to Fire Lash, it can pressure a lot opponent's Pokemon and man.. it also has access to Knock Off, Coil, Leech Life, Power Whip, Will-O-Wisp... so much things which looks nice on paper. Thanks to the brand new Heavy-Duty Boots its typing isn't an issue since it can be immune to Entry Hazards !

#839 Coalossal

Alright so I don't know what to think about this Pokemon because it seems super iffy. It got a really bad typing (Rock-Fire) and some pretty meh statistics overall but on the other hand it has access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, Rapid Spin and even Scald.. jesus man I really don't know what to expect about this thing.

#863 Perrserker

Alright so this thing is slow (50 BS Speed..) and that really sucks because it can be a really nice Pokemon otherwise. It has a great ability : Tough Claws and a pretty neat Movepool with Swords Dance, Iron Head and Gyro Ball, Close Combat, Gunk Shot, Seed Bomb, Play Rough and even U-turn. I guess Choice Band Perrserker will be a cool pick !


Alright so I think I'm done for today lmao, I did something like half of the Pokemon of the Galar Region Pokedex, will try my best to do the the second half tomorrow. Overall there is a lot of things which looks like super cool and fun to use, but once again.. Gigamax/Dynamax are trash in my opinion and I would like to see some metagames without those fictures.
Allow me to disagree
I think that both boltund and inteleon are going to ou .
Inteleon will have a pretty strong set when he gets sniper :
Inteleon @ Scope Lens
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump/surf
- Ice Beam
- Air Slash
- Focus Energy
With this set inteleon will be able to sweep entire teams if they don't have a counter .
After the focus energy intelion will have a 100% chance of critical hit and the damage will be even more boosted with sniper .
There are just a few mons in the game who could tank a hit and even fewer mons who could outspeed him and kill him with OHKO and in both cases you can dynamax to tank the hit , use the flying type dynamax move to get faster than anything in the game and use the water dynamax move to set up rain and boost his water move damage even more .
And about boltund:
Boltund @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Fire Fang
- Thunder Fang
With this set boltund gets both great speed and attack power being able to kill easily some of the best bulky pokemon on the game such as ferrothorn ( with OHKO ), corviknight and toxapex with just a few hits.
The best part is that people don't expect him to be able to kill so easily , so you can use him as a surprise element to take at least one enemy pokemon down almost 100% of the times .
In other hand I think thievul will be a very good uu pokemon , but I would use him with this set ( this set i just a prototype don't criticize it )
Thievul @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Parting Shot
- Taunt
I would use as that kind of annoying pokemon that just exist to disturb you and don't let you use your strategy as you made it by taking damage with sucker punch , taking itens with knock off , don't letting you use support moves with taunt and getting a switch while nerfs the opponent attack with parting shot .
 
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Just a quick answer to GaZaScRa before continuing my opinion on Galar Region Pokedex.
Inteleon has a really shitty bulk (70-65-65) which means it will have a really hard time taking advantage of its ability Sniper because its bulk kinda prevents it to setup if it doesn't want to take a shit load of damages. That being said, let's move on !

#869 Alcremie

Unfortunately, Alcremie doesn't have Moonblast which means its best STAB is Dazzling Gleam (not a bad STAB but not the best one too). Its physical bulk is kinda meh but since it has access to Calm Mind, Recover and Aromatherapy, I guess it can be a viable Calm Mind user with either Dazzling Gleam or Stored Power as an offensive move.

Alcremie (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Aromatherapy / Mystical Fire / Acid Armur / Stored Power / Psyshock / Giga Drain
- Dazzling Gleam / Stored Power / Draining Kiss

On the other hand, since it has a really nice special attack, it can act as a great Wallbreaker with Choice Specs or a nice Cleric. I guess this will be a decent pick in lower tiers.

#471 Glaceon

Glaceon got Freeze-Dry and that's a big YES for me. Choice Specs Glaceon is now a really viable pick which is able to punish Water-types which would like to handle its Ice STAB. Even Choice Scarf could be a decent option in lower tiers.

Glaceon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Snow Cloak / Ice Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam / Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry
- Shadow Ball
- Hyper Voice / Water Pulse / Blizzard

#700 Sylveon

Like Glaceon, Sylveon got a pretty nice buff aka Mystical Fire which allows it to punish Steel-types. Choice Specs Sylveon seems a nice pick with great coverage overall.

#841 Flapple & #842 Appletun

This two Pokemon seem really fun to use. On one hand, Flapple looks like a really nice offensive pivot thanks to Hustle and U-turn or a pretty clean sweeper thanks to Dragon Dance, its signature move Grav Apple and other moves such as Dragon Rush (LMAO don't use this with Hustle because it's a 60% accuracy move..), Acrobatics and Sucker Punch. Although I think Hustle is its best ability, I also believe that a DD Sub set with Rippen and either Liechi Berry or Salac Berry could be really nice. On the other hand Appletun (this shit is hellah cute btw) is pretty bulky and has a really interesting movepool with Recover and Curse which allows it to be played as a physical sweeper (with Earthquake, Seed Bomb, Sucker, Gyro Ball, Body Press or even Outrage). It also has its own great signature move : Apple Acid which could be really cool to use on a bulky pivot. Draco Meteor is also right there.. looming in the shadows. It also has access to Substitute + Leech Seed which is nice (I can see some set with Recycle + Sub + Petaya Berry). Overall this too looks cool !

#678 Meowstic

Meowstic got Nasty Plot which means it can be a decent setup Sweeper in lower tiers with its good speed tier and its wide coverage.

Meowstic (M/F)
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Energy Ball / Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt / Shadow Ball

#865 Sirfetch'd

Alright so this Pokemon looks super good in lower tier. Even if it's a bit slow, it's still able to outspeed most defensive Pokemon which means it can pressure them super effectively thanks to its great BS of 135 in attack and its access to Scrappy (which actually allows it since gen8 to not be affected by Intimidate lmao). I actually don't know if Choice Band or SD would be the best set but both of them seem nasty vs defensive threats. Since it has access to Leaf Blade, it can punish really hard Quagsire. It also has access to the mighty Knock Off + Poison Jab if it wants to punish Fairy-types. And well.. Defog is there too if you want it to support the team !

#560 Scrafty

You'll never see again your Scrafty miss its High Jump Kick and get KOed because of that.. Welcome to Close Combat !

#618 Stunfisk

Alright so like Coalossal, I actually don't know what to think about this Pokemon... It has a nice typing, a good bulk and an access to good moves such as Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Scald, Counter, Curse, Spite and Snap Trap which allows it to trap opponent's Pokemon.. but I dunno.. the lack of recovery seems a bit tough for a Pokemon like that.

#768 Golisopod

Well you know.. like a lot of Pokemon, Golisopod got Close Combat so.. good news for us and bad news for Steel-types Pokemon !

#222 Corsola & #864 Cursola

Alright so if I look at the actual "metagame" it seems that we will not get Corsola because it's an insanely good support Pokemon in OU but maybe we'll get its evolution Cursola ! This Pokemon has an amazing special attack and a lot of moves on the special side like Earth Power, Giga Drain, Scald and Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Psychic and obviously Shadow Ball / Hex. It also a nice movepool of support with Stealth Rock, Will-O-Wisp and Strenght Sap. Maybe this Pokemon can be used as a great offensive support or as a powerful bulky Pokemon !

Cursola @ Colbur Berry / Leftovers
Ability: Perish Body
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Will-O-Wisp
- Strength Sap
- Shadow Ball / Hex

Cursola @ Colbur Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Perish Body
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Strength Sap
- Shadow Ball / Hex
- Earth Power / Will-O-Wisp
- Ice Beam / Will-O-Wisp

#861 Grimmsnarl

Great typing and ability.. nice statistics and a wide movepool.. Grimmsnarl is a nice Pokemon for sure ! It has access to Sucker Punch, Play Rough, Darkest Lariat, Fake Out, Drain Punch, False Surrender (basically a 80 BP Dark Aerial Ace) but also Superpower and Power Whip. It can also support its teammate thanks to Prankster Thunder Wave or Light Screen + Reflect. Bulk Up looks like a nice option with Taunt.

#858 Hatterene

Alright so like G-Corsola, maybe this thing will stay in OU but if it drops.. it will be really nice ! It has Magic Bounce which is one of the best ability in the whole game and which allows it to act as a nasty Rest-Talk + Calm Mind user. 57/95/103 is a pretty solid bulk and with its solid special attack of 136 it can really mess around defensive Pokemon thanks to Psychic / Psyshock + Mystical Fire + Dazzling Gleam (sadly, once again, no Moonblast..). Defensive Calm Mind and OTR looks like its best sets in my opinion.

Hatterene (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Sleep Talk / Dazzling Gleam / Mystical Fire
- Stored Power / Dazzling Gleam / Psychic / Psyshock

Hatterene (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Psychic / Psychok
- Dazzling Gleam / Giga Drain
- Mystical Fire

#110 Weezing

This Pokemon has an incredible movepool.. it's trully insane ! It has access to Aromatherapy, Defog, Destiny Bond, Haze, Memento, Toxic, Taunt, Toxic Spikes, Will-O-Wisp, Spite and a great signature move : Strange Steam (90 BP / 95% accuracy / 20% chance to confuse the target). Its typing is great when it's paired with its ability Levitate and allows it to have only 2 weakness (Psychic and Steel), 5 resistances (Bug, Dark, Fairy, Fighting, Grass) and 2 immunities (Dragon and Ground). This Pokemon will be for sure a staple in lower tiers.

#589 Escavalier & #628 Braviary

CLOSE COMBAT..!

#879 Copperajah

I agree with what Sage said on this Pokemon. Thanks to its great HP, Copperajah has overall a great bulk and its access to Stealth Rock let it act as a great offensive Stealth Rock setter. Both Sheer Force and Heavy Metal looks cool on this Pokemon and it has a dope offensive movepool (Iron Head and Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Heat Crash, Play Rough, Power Whip, Stone Edge etc..).

#593 Jellicent

Jellicent got Strenght Sap.. WOW it looks so cool ! It may encounter a bit of a 4 MSS because of that but overall it's a great addition to its movepool !

#849 Toxtricity

Toxtricity is probably THE Pokemon I want to try in lower tiers the most ! I mean.. its ability Punk Rock gives it a STAB on every sounds moves (hello Boomburst) and it has its own signature move : Overdrive.. a 80 BP Electric.. sound move obvisouly.. just look at that :

Toxtricity @ Life Orb
Ability: Punk Rock
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shift Gear
- Overdrive
- Sludge Bomb
- Boomburst

Toxtricity reaches 498 Speed after a Shift Gear with Modest nature which is insane.. 359 special attack with Life Orb and 180 BP Electric move + 210 BP Boomburst.. wow, I can't wait to try this Pokemon (and tbh.. it looks so freaking cool).

#612 Haxorus

Well.. well..well.. Haxorus got Close Combat too !

#855 Polteageist

Alright so I dunno if this Pokemon is gonna stay in OU or not but it looks super scary on paper because Shell Smash is probably one of the best (if not the best) move for setup and this Pokemon got it.. It also has access to Strenght Sap and Will-O-Wisp so yeah.. on paper this Pokemon is insanely threatening.

#876 Indeedee

Since Indeedee has 2 differents forms with differents statistics, we may be able to get the worst one (female) if the more offensive one (male) stays in OU. Since this Pokemon has the insanely good ability Psychic Surge, it's definitively something which could be good !

#870 Falinks

I hope this Pokemon will not drope because No Retreat (omniboost signature move) looks broken on paper. I actually don't know if you can use No Retreat multiple times but if it's the case.. well Falinks looks impossible to deal with..

#873 Frosmoth

Thanks to Heavy-Duty Boots, Frosmoth typing isn't the biggest issue (since it prevents it to take 50% on Stealth Rock). Although this Pokemon is a bit slow, I think its biggest flaws is that it doesn't have anything to pressure Steel-types..(RIP Hidden Power). Choice Specs looks like a great way to take advantage of its great special attack while still being able to act as a decent pivot thanks to U-turn.

#871 Pincurchin

"Electric Surge".. "Spikes"... "Toxic Spikes"... "Recover"... "Scald".. "Memento".. well that's almost all you need to know about this Pokemon ! A great support for a lot of teams and statistics which allows it to also be effective as an offensive Pokemon in lower tiers.

#884 Duraludon

Baby Dialga is there guys ! Stealth Rock + great typing + 120 BS SpA.. Access to Draco Meteor.. Flash Cannon and Thunderbolt ! Overall a playable and nice Pokemon which isn't actually slow with 85 BS Speed !

#880 Dracozolt & #881 Arctozolt & #882 Dracovish & #883 Arctovish

Alright so this Pokemon are super weird but they have in my opinion one great point : their signature moves !
The first two have access to Bolt Beak, a physical electric move (85 BP) which has its power boubled if its user moves first. So this mean they have a 170 BP STAB which is insane.. The other two has the same move but Water-type : Fishious Rend. I think Dracozolt is the best of them thanks to Hustle but I don't know, maybe all of them will be great in their own way !

#773 Silvally

Multi-Attack got a nice buff and it's now a powerful STAB of 120 BP which means Silvally may actually be more viable in higher tier than in gen7. Let's wait and see but it's definitively a nice thing for this Pokemon.


Alright so that's it for now ! I will talk about Pokemon like Primarina, Kyurem etc.. which also got some great addition to their movepool when Pokemon HOME will be here. Indeed, we can't use this Pokemon for now so I prefer to wait. Overall there is a lot of things which looks like super cool and fun to use. I just can't wait to see what will looks like Alpha gen8uu ! By the way, thanks for reading me.
 
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#870 Falinks

I hope this Pokemon will not drope because No Retreat (omniboost signature move) looks broken on paper. I actually don't know if you can use No Retreat multiple times but if it's the case.. well Falinks looks impossible to deal with..

#871 Pincurchin

"Electric Surge".. "Spikes"... "Toxic Spikes"... "Recover"... "Scald".. "Memento".. well that's almost all you need to know about this Pokemon ! A great support for a lot of teams and statistics which allows it to also be effective as an offensive Pokemon in lower tiers.
Falinks just seems like kind of a gimmick to me. It's stats just aren't that impressive without the omni-boost from No Retreat (mainly its 65/100/60 defenses and base 70 speed.) Flying and Psychic, and Fairy all look to be really big attacking types in Gen 8, and even at +1 and a positive nature, it's only hitting 318 speed. More than that though, it's movepool's pretty shallow outside of STAB moves. It gets some nice coverage moves like Megahorn and Rock Slide, but it really wishes it had some form of recovery outside of Rest. Like most gimmicky Pokemon, this thing will probably fall through the tiers pretty quickly.

As for Pincurchin... the thing has base 48 HP and 15 Speed. It doesn't even get Volt Switch. You're probably better off just setting up Electric Terrain manually with something actually good.

Maybe I'm wrong, though, it's not like gimmicky Pokemon haven't stuck around in OU before.
 

Raidx

Banned deucer.
I aint see no one mention Noctowl so ima be the first. Idk about yall but the fact it gets Nasty Plot now could possibly make it a super huge threat vs slower teams. With Blissey being deleted from the game idk what mon can actually stop this after a NP boost (im sure there's something out there). Tinted Lens invalidates resists and if we dont ban dmax then the bulk Noctowl gets could make it v hard to revenge. Not to mention Max Airstream gives +1 speed so even vs offense squads it might have some merit, depending on how the speed tiers play out this gen. Idk if this is me being overoptimistic but i'm super excited to use this mon
 
Good to see quite a bit of discussion on various pokemon.

After I spoke about potential offensive Spinners in UU; I have something else to throw out there:


Throat Spray - When the holder uses a Sound Move; this item is consumed to give a +1 to Sp.Atk

Notable Sound moves being Boomburst; Hyper Voice; Bug Buzz and Roar. Bug Buzz and Hyper Voice are both TR's; so distribution is pretty good.



Accelgor @ Throat Spray
Modest Nature
Unburden
248 HP/252 Sp.Atk/8 Def or 252 Def/252 Sp.Atk/4 Speed [HP at 248 or 0 to give an odd number for SR purposes]

- Bug Buzz
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast

Accelgor is absolutely the first pokemon likely to be UU that is worth talking about with Throat Spray. It can activate Throat Spray using it's STAB Bug Buzz, which comes off a Base 100 Sp.Atk, and Accelgor is one of the fastest pokemon in all of Sword/Shield with Base 145 Speed.

This gets particularly impressive when you account for Accelgor's Hidden Ability: Unburden. With it's Base 145 Speed; Accelgor with 0 investment in Speed at all sits at 326 Speed. After Unburden, this is 652. Put simply; Accelgor is so fast it can actually run Modest 252 Sp.Atk and invest the remainder of it's EV's into shoring up it's defenses [Likly HP or Def] and still outrun everything.

Investing in bulk with Accelgor is quite useful as well when you consider it gets access to Giga Drain to help it sustain itself. Accelgor's type coverage isn't winning any awards; with Bug Buzz; Sludge Bomb; Giga Drain and Focus Blast; but it's enough to get the job done.

Also; if Dynamaxing ends up legal in UU; Max Ooze can further increase Accelgor's Sp.Atk; and Focus Blast can bypass it's shaky accuracy as Max Knuckle.


Ribombee @ Throat Spray
Modest Nature
Shield Dust
252 Sp.Atk/252 Speed/4 Def

- Bug Buzz
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Energy Ball

Ribombee is both slower [Although not much is outspeeding Base 124 Speed] and weaker [Base 95] than Accelgor. However; Ribombee brings a second STAB option, in Moonblast. Ribombee has a much easier time dealing with Fighting-types than Accelgor does; and it's typing can give it easier switch-ins. However, it literally dosen't learn a move that is unresisted by Steel-types in it's entire movepool.

There is also the option to slot in various utility moves over Psychic or Energy Ball, or even Quiver Dance, allowing you to Dance on an enemy's switch; and then Bug Buzz to get +2/+1/+1.

Quite similar to Accelgor overall however.


Galvantula @ Throat Spray
Modest/Timid Nature
Compoundeyes
252 Sp.Atk/252 Speed/4 Def

- Bug Buzz
- Thunder
- Energy Ball
- Sticky Web/Thunder Wave/Substitute/Volt Switch

Galvantula is the slowest of the three Bugs; but again, Base 109 is not slow; although you may want to run +Speed. Galvantula also has the worst coverage of the three bugs; although STAB Thunder is quite dangerous when it's accuracy is backed up with Compoundeyes [And there's the possibility of Electric Terrain to further increase it, be it from Max Thunder or a Pinurchin].

This does; however, leave Galvantula's final moveslot open for utility. It can set up Webs. Sub, spread T-Waves or just simply have Volt Switch the general utility that move provides with it's momentum.


Noivern @ Throat Spray
Modest Nature
Infiltrator/Frisk
252 Sp.Atk/252 Speed/4 Def

- Boomburst
- Dragon Pulse
- Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Focus Blast
- Air Slash/Hurricane

Noivern isn't a given to fall to UU, however if it does, I absolutely think that Spray Noivern can easily be one of the most dangerous sweepers in the metagame. Noivern's biggest problem before has been it's medicore Sp.Atk stat, and inability to boost it, and Throat Spray fixes that. Base 123 speed is slower than the fast Bugs; but it's still blisteringly fast. Frisk lets you detect any Scarfers that may outspeed you coming in as well.

Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Focus Blast all do the same job of wrecking Steels who resist your STAB combination. Hurricane is an option with Rain support or if you're willing to risk the 30% Miss chance [Like with Focus Blast].


Flygon @ Throat Spray
Modest/Timid Nature
Levitate
252 Sp.Atk/252 Speed/4 HP

- Bug Buzz/Boomburst
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Heat Wave

In terms of a Dragon more likely to fall to UU than Noivern; we have Flygon. While it's significantly weaker and slower than Noivern, STAB Dragon/Ground coverage is an excellent combination, Flygon can opt for either Bug Buzz or Boomburst to trigger Throat Spray; Flygon comes with 2 useful immunities to switch in on, and perhaps most importantly; people expect Flygon to be played physically.

Flygon may lack the raw power to outright sweep; but the surprise factor and it's still pretty good Base 100 Speed could easily function as a cleaner, or to pick off something.

Hyper Voice has particularly good availability; and thus opens quite a diverse set of options:


Arcanine @ Throat Spray
Modest/Timid Nature
Intimidate / Flash Fire
252 Sp.Atk
252 Speed / 4 Def for Sweeper Variant
252 HP / 4 Sp.Atk for Tanky Variant

- Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Heat Wave
- Hyper Voice
- Dragon Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp/Morning Sun/Snarl

Arcanine is pretty unique amoung Spray options because not only does Special Arcanine come as a general surprise [Despite the fact that Arcanine has a perfectly usable Base 100 Sp.Atk]; but Arcanine is also bulky. 90/80/80 is pretty good bulk; and when combined with Intimidate, this makes it easier to set up with Arcanine than most other Spray users. It is also worth mentioning Flash Fire as a viable option for the added boost to Fire-type moves and an immunity to switch in on, should there be a large amount of Fire-type attacks thrown around in UU. Intimidate is likly to be usually the better choice, but Flash Fire is not redundant.

Arcanine also boasts a respectable Base 95 Speed; allowing it to pull off a Sweep/Clean attempt. However, Arcanine can also play to it's bulk and opt into more of a tank/wallbreaker role; hitting hard while also being able to withstand the damage. This compliments the fact that Arcanine lacks special coverage somewhat. This; however, allows Arcanine to opt into spreading Burns [Thus helping it's physical durability]; using Snarls to drop enemy Special Attack [Thus helping it withstand Special blows] or even opting into recovery with Morning Sun.

And of course, Arcanine is notably stronger with Sun support.



Jolteon @ Throat Spray
Volt Absorb
Modest Nature
252 Sp.Atk/252 Spd/ 4HP

- Thunderbolt /[Thunder with Rain]
- Shadow Ball
- Hyper Voice
- Baton Pass / Volt Switch / Thunder Wave/Substitute

Jolteon is the first Eeveelution that comes to mind with a Spray set; due to it's Base 130 Speed and Base 110 Sp.Atk. However, the same thing holds Jolteon's Spray set back as what will probobly make it drop to UU in the first place: Jolteon's movepool is awful.

However, it does have the relatively unique niche of being able to Baton Pass a Spray boost to a teammate if Baton Pass is not banned this generation [And with Smergle not around... there's a good chance it dosen't get banned]. When it comes to the Electric-type Spray users; Jolteon has the highest Speed and Sp.Atk stats [Although Thunder Galvantula will out-damage Thunderbolt Jolteon]


Vaporeon @ Throat Spray
Water Absorb
Modest Nature
252 Sp.Atk/252 Def/Sp.Def/4 Def/Sp.Def

- Hyper Voice
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball/Baton Pass/Wish

Vaporeon isn't exactly a sweeper with it's Base 65 Speed; however; it does boast a Base 110 Sp.Atk stat; equal to Jolteon's; and pretty impressive bulk. This allows Spray Vaporeon to be played in a similar manner to a Spray Arcanine can be, as a hard-hitting tank. There's not much to explain about this one.


I'm fairly sure Espeon will end up OU due to Magic Bounce; but if Espeon is in UU; it basically does the exact same thing as Jolteon; except it has better coverage options with access to Grass Knot and Dazzling Gleam.


Likewise; Sylveon plays quite similar to Vaporeon; except it uses Pixilate Hyper Voice with a tanky spread to dish out large amounts of damage at +1 Sp.Atk while also being durable.



Heliolisk and Manetric are very similar to each other; and both have lower Sp.Atk and Speed than Jolteon. However, they boast better movepools. Manetric has access to Flamethrower; while Heliolisk gets Surf; Dark Pulse; Focus Blast; Grass Knot and Dragon Pulse; as well as STAB on Hyper Voice.

When all you want is brute force; Jolteon is the option, Manetric is best if you need Flamethrower, and Heliolisk is most unpredictable and flexible [And can also come with a Water immunity instead of Electric]


The Rotom forms all play rather similar, but each brings their own unique take on a Throat Spray build.

Standard Rotom is faster than it's appliance forms; and has three immunities to come in on. The Appliances are significantly bulkier; hit harder, but are slightly slower.

However, for the purpose of a special sweeper; Mow and Heat are ill-suited due to their special moves dropping their Sp.Atk by two stages. Rotom-Frost has Blizzard, which is unreliable outside of a Hail team. This actually leaves Rotom-Fan as the most reliable appliance choice for a tanky Spray build.

However, with the various Rotoms able to do so many things; such as Trick; Nasty Plot; Choice; Status, a Spray build is probably little more than a gimmick on them. However, I could also be completely wrong on this; ad I think there's enough chance that one form of Rotom has a passable Spray build to mention Rotom here.


Indeedee [Male] @ Throat Spray
252 Sp.Atk/252 Speed / 4 HP
Modest/Timid
Psychic Surge

- Psychic
- Hyper Voice
- Mystical Fire
- Dazzling Gleam

Male Inndeedee brings a respectable Base 95 Speed and 105 Sp.Atk. However, what really gives this pokemon it's brute force is it's ability; Psychic Terrain. Not only does this give Indeedee 5 turns of not having to care about being Sucker Punched, but it also gives a 50% boost to it's Psychic-type moves. With Indeedee also being a Normal-type; and thus getting STAB on Hyper Voice, it's not too difficult for Indeedee to start firing off disgustingly powerful Psychics.

But it dosen't stop there; because while Psychic+Normal is actually a decent combination of STAB moves; Indeedee gets Mystical Fire to strike Psychic-resistant Steel-types with; and Dazzling Gleam for Dark-types who would otherwise be immune to it's mighty Psychics.

It's worth mentioning that Female Indeedee is bulkier; but it's also slower and weaker than the Male; making the Male generally superior for offensive sets.


Most other potential users are either too slow or too weak to really attempt a sweep [Rotom is probably too slow as well but it's kind of borderline due to the Galar Dex in general being rather slow]
 
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Common misconception I've seen about Intelleon is that it's Snipe Shot ignores Water Absorb, which isn't the case. This is what I think will ultimately lock it in the lower tiers, especially since it doesn't have a very good way to deal with water immunities (Unlike Prim, who had similar special attack but had the terrifyingly strong secondary STAB to shred any but the specific 3 or 4 mons that resisted it's dual STAB.) And while crit sets seem cool, they'll lack good setup opportunities due to extremely mediocre bulk, and even crit dark pulses probably won't break the bulkiest of waters that can stonewall it. (252 SpA Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Milotic on a critical hit: 105-124 (26.6 - 31.4%) -- 23.8% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery, I gave a Gren Intelleon's stats and typing to emulate it) It could be a good revenge killer/pivot with U-turn but its definitely not breaking any team with a semi-competent bulky water on it's own. It may be an RUBL pokemon that the ladder zombies try to make work in UU, Depends on how the tide turns.

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On the other hand, if Bulky waters ARE popular, I could see this thing being a monster. (I'm thinking it'll be UU until it gets it's Hidden ability unlocked, anywho.) Its slightly faster, stronger, and bulkier than Tsar in trade for not having rapid spin. A choiced set with Wood Hammer/U-turn/Fillers (It gets a lot of decent fighting and dark moves, along with other coverage options like Eathquake) could be decent. I also see Swords Dance sets being near unwallable and it having decent enough bulk to grab these boosts. Its passable bulk could maybe even make a bulkier leech seed set possible (Though this is less likely because it's recovery outside of leech seed is abyssmal.) Overall I think this has potential to be a monstrous breaker.

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I want this mon to be good so badly, since I love the look and it's 125 attack, but it will probably be outclassed. Might be a gimmicky offensive rocker that tries to scare off removers with monstrously powerful stone edges, or a rock polish cleaner with it's usable 70 speed. Otherwise however, I think it's going to be mediocre and probably end up in the gimmick bin.


Will give more thoughts in an edit later, gotta go to work. These are just some initial thoughts.
 
View attachment 207818 I want this mon to be good so badly, since I love the look and it's 125 attack, but it will probably be outclassed. Might be a gimmicky offensive rocker that tries to scare off removers with monstrously powerful stone edges, or a rock polish cleaner with it's usable 70 speed. Otherwise however, I think it's going to be mediocre and probably end up in the gimmick bin.
It's got a decent speed tier and a great attack stat, so it could actually be a good scarfer. As a rocker it's pretty heavily outclassed by Rhydon and Rhyperior, which are superior both offensively and defensively, and its movepool is pretty barren outside of the obligatory EdgeQuake. If it has any niche whatsoever in UU, or even RU for that matter, it'll be due to its speed stat.
 
Ok I'm back with a few more notes that I wanted to make earlier but didn't have the time to.

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One of two pokemon gifted with an omniboost move after Z-moves went extinct. Take this thing with a grain of salt if we get Kommo-o this gen, as Kommo-o boasts a second typing, has a debatably better omniboost move, a much better movepool, and outclasses Falinks base stat for base stat if you put them next to eachother. Even without Clanger as exceptionally stiff competition however, this mon won't be a metagame superstar, but I could at least see it having a small niche in that scenario. I think it'll fit best on jank offense variants like webs and screens/veil that can further bolster its middling speed or bulk respectively in addition to the one omniboost it gets. Defiant also lets it inherently support these kinds of teams by discouraging defog. There's also possible experimentation with SD setup sets, but I think there will be much more stiff competition for those kinds of boosters, as pokemon like Bewear, Sirfetch'd, Pangoro, and many other fightings are likely better in this role with their greater overall stats. No Retreat is Falinks' best option and I think it'll be an alright nichemon, comparable to gen 7 Venomoth where it was a decent choice on gimmick offense that had the room for it, but will be impossible to make work anywhere else.

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The more research is done into these fossils, the stupider they seem. Their signature moves are actually really scary being essentially 170 base power if they strike first or hit a mon switching in. We might not even get Dracovish (My personal favorite, sadly.) If people catch on to the fact it can even tear through Ferrothorn and Pex with it's water move. That will by far be the best one if we do get it though, as Strong Jaw boosting Fishious Rend is insane (We probably won't have anything that can take two band Rends bar water immunities) and it has arguably the best type defensively too. Dracozolt is probably the second best one packing hustle, and it could be a fearsome breaker. I could see scarf sets cleaning teams without a ground, or general breaker sets cracking open bulkier builds. We may still be forced to run Ground types in a MegaMane-less gen just because of this monster. Not even mentioning possible synergy with the new Pinurchin's electric surge. Because what's better than a 170 base power move boosted by hustle and STAB? A 340 Base Power move boosted by Hustle and STAB. The Arctos at least seem mildly balanced, as they are much slower, weak to rocks, and don't have abilities that boost their moves. Arctozolt could be a small niche because of STAB boltbeam coverage and Bolt Beak's insane power nonetheless, but otherwise I don't see it taking off as easy as Dracovish or Dracozolt. Arctovish is arguably the worst new fossil by far, having nothing to break fellow waters barring a Freeze-Dry coming off of extremely mediocre SpA. Water Absorb with Freeze-Dry could be a small niche if it wasn't outclassed by Lapras of all things in this role.

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If Dracozolt does come down and take the game by storm, these are probably going to be two of the best checks to it by resisting it's dual STAB, taking on various other electrics that lost hidden power is useful too. Even outside of electric control however, I could see either being at least decent with solid physical defense and stealth rock. Which one of these two is the better mon for the job is something I'm unsure of at this point.

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Runerigus could be good or bad depending on how the meta shapes. If fighting checks become necessary, then this could be a really solid Fighting/Electric blanket check. This is one of the other main stops I had in mind if Dracozolt's monstrous Hustle Bolt Beak ended up becoming a problem down the line.

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Low speed and HP are immediate turnoffs, and it's definitely not breaking teams on it's own with such moderate coverage. It seems like it could almost be a decent wall with recover, passable defenses and the ability to set hazards until you remember that electric has a crippling weakness to the most common attacking type in the game, and nothing to show for it but a couple less common resistances.......Alright, lets not beat around the bush, people would use this thing even if it was Magikarp 2 and only had splash. Electric Surge is just that good, and makes it an amazing support mon to it's fellow electrics. This thing might make electric immunities a major necessity in builder this gen because of the monstrous power it grants to electric type teammates. Being able to set spikes can also be a nice little bonus.

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Very solid Special attack, and the ability to boost sound moves are immediate notes to make about this one. The amped form also learns shift gear for cleaning frailer builds. Throat Spray and Pinurchin partner are also obvious options to get the most bang for your buck.

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My current pick for biggest gen 8 sleeper. (Or at the very least, biggest gen 7 to 8 buff.) Still has solid coverage against grounds despite losing hidden power, can abuse the new throat spray to boost it's special attack. Not to mention that it's near perfect accuracy thunders are a lot more eye-popping when they're 220 power under Electric Terrain as opposed to 110. Sticky Web may also be more popular since defog is distributed so thinly with Dexit. With the ability to abuse throat spray, terrain, or be the webber of a solid webbing build, you could see this on a number of teams.

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These get back all of their solid ground-busting coverage moves bar HP Ice through TRs (this sticks out more with the lack of hidden power on other electrics) and both of them, especially Alolachu, love Pinurchin's presence. Though standard Raichu does get small mention for being an electric immunity itself and not being bogged by psychic's bevvy of weaknesses. Nasty Plot under Electric Terrain could end games in this lawless land where Dexit axed most of our special walls.

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Second fastest electric type (At least until we get Zera back then it becomes 3rd) but having much better movepool than Jolteon. The various fangs with strong jaw give Boltund quite tolerable coverage and we can mark it off as yet another electric terrain abuser. Physical electrics in general are also spread much more thin with Dexit.

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This gen sure did have a fetish with introducing offensively inclined steels. I think Duralodon will be the best if we can get it. A steel that can drop a STAB Draco is nuts, and it's SPA is nothing to scoff at. It also probably has the best all around bulk of the new steels after Corviknight (Which OU might keep to fill the Skarm/Celesteela void) while Copperajah has the most HP of any steel currently in the game (And will still have the second most when Melmetal hits) but it's actual bulk outside of HP is middling. Regardless, its not like we have a fountain of options to fill the void left by the Mega Steels. Copperajah's offensive capabilities are also intriguing, having a solid movepool and colossal attack along with heavy metal or sheer force to give itself a little more punch. If Copperajah isn't needed in a defensive role, slap a Life Orb on it and take a kill every time it comes in.

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Speaking of offensively inclined steels introduced in gen 8, this is another one I'm interested in. Only reason I separated this from Copperajah and Duralodon is because you really won't see it used for it's alright bulk, since it's just a straight downgrade from other steels in that department. That bulk will only be used to catch an SD or take a hit before retaliating with a KO. I could see a band or SD set used well since it has a really solid offensive movepool with stuff like Iron Head, Close Combat, U-turn, etc. with Tough Claws bolstering it even further. It's pathetic 50 speed will really hurt it in offensive matchups though, so this might go lower through the tiers depending on what steels we get to compete with it.
 
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Hello.

I don't post very often anymore, but I wanted to share my thoughts on some potential UU Pokemon as well as some potential sets. I will include unreleased moves and abilities in my sets, but will not consider dynamaxing since I do not understand its uses and applications well enough to make a post on it. Keep in mind that this is based entirely off my speculation:

1. Runerigus
mon1.png

Physically Defensive:

Runerigus @ Leftovers
Ability: Wandering Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Night Shade / Shadow Claw
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes

Seeing how Hippowdon is likely to stay OU for at least the near future, Runerigus could be an interesting replacement. Having access to a relatively strong STAB earthquake along with both Stealth Rocks and Toxic spikes, combined with its great defensive stats, gives this Pokemon a unique niche in the tier. Having no solid recovery aside from Leftovers is a very big flaw, but Runerigus's unique defensive typing and utility in its moveset partially makes up for this.

2. Copperajah
mon2.png

Wallbreaker:
Copperajah @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Power Whip
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock / Rock Slide

Copperajah is a very cool Pokemon to me. While it has both great base HP combined with an amazing defensive typing, it is blessed with a great offensive movepool, high attack, and sheer force. This set's speed EVs allow it to outrun uninvested base 50 speed Pokemon, while the rest of the EVs are self-explanatory. Power Whip is a great option to surprise bulky water types on the switch who might otherwise wall this set with ease, with earthquake and rock slide serving the same purpose but against fire types. Rocks are slashed since Copperajah's great typing and power will force many switches, which can be used to setup rocks.

3. Inteleon
mon3.png
Revenge Killer
Inteleon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Snipe Shot
- Ice Beam
- U-turn

Inteleon's great speed and good special attack make it so that it can serve as a great revenge killer and offensive pivot. Since Inteleon's coverage isn't great, having 2 water moves (one with higher power and another that won't miss) is fine. Snipe shot is interesting and synergizes nicely with Sniper (as it has a high critical hit chance). U-Turn and Ice Beam are used for momentum and coverage against water resists, respectively.

Walmart Ash-Gren
Inteleon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Snipe Shot
- Ice Beam
- U-turn

I can see this Inteleon set being an excellent late-game cleaner. None of the moves are changed compared to the scarf set, as Inteleon's coverage moves are pretty terrible. I don't really have anything else to add except that this set should aim to cleanup your opponent's team once water resists or faster Pokemon are dealt with.

4. Grimmsnarl
mon4.png

Bulk Up

Grimmsnarl (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 204 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Play Rough
- Darkest Lariat
- Drain Punch

While I admit that this set is a bit gimmicky, having access to priority bulk up alongside great dual STAB and drain punch for recovery can make this set possibly not terrible. The speed EVs are for uninvested base 65 speed Pokemon, with the remaining EVs invested into bulk. The idea is to bring this Pokemon into a weaker or resisted special attacker and setup. Its STAB moves are self-explanatory and drain punch can be used for additional recovery.

Wallbreaker
Grimmsnarl (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
- Darkest Lariat / Ice Punch / Thunder Wave

A more standard set compared to the one above. Having access to a hard-to-wall dual STAB and priority Sucker Punch makes this Pokemon a threat to offensive and defensive teams alike. Thunder Wave may seem like a weird choice, but having priority Thunder Wave to check setup sweepers and faster Pokemon in general is extremely valuable, which is why I have it slashed. Superpower is there simply because of how great fighting coverage is in general, and the EVs are exactly what you would expect for a Pokemon like this.


That's all I have in mind for now. I can't go into much more detail with these sets as it is all speculation and theory crafting. Seeing all these new Pokemon and new potential is exciting, and I look forward to playing UU with all of these new Pokemon available. Thank you for reading.
 
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What pokemon with Eviolite can be good in UU?
[Assuming that Corsola-Galar isn't OU]

Corsola-Galar is a monster not only does it have reasonable 60/100/100 bulk (60/150/150 with Eviolite) but it obtains Strength Sap, SR and Cursed Body as an ability. If this monster is in UU then Stall might have an uprising.

Type: Null might be in UU. It has amazing bulk 95/95/95 (95/147/147 with Eviolite) but such a lacking movepool. The best way you can run it is a bulk rest-talk set

Type: Null @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Swords Dance/U-turn
- Facade​

Mr. Mime-Galar is something to look forward for as it boast high Special Attacking prowess and has so much in terms of set-up opportunities such as NP, CM and Rapid Spin (which serves as hazard removal).

Mr. Mime-Galar @ Eviolite
Ability: Screen Cleaner
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin​

And, last but not least, is Doublade and what can I say about it that hasn't already been said.
 

Hogg

grubbing in the ashes
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As most of you have probably seen, Twilight and Esta put together a speculative UU alpha tour so that we can play around a bit. Since I’m the one who created the initial banlist, I figured I’d pop in and explain why.

Here’s the banlist we decided on:

Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, Excadrill, Darm-G, Dragapult, Corviknight, Ditto, Ferrothorn, Gyarados, Rotom-W, Toxapex, Aegislash, Hydreigon, Clefable, Grimmsnarl, Corsola-G, Tyranitar, Hatterene, Cinderace, Hawlucha, Toxtricity, Barraskewda, Conkeldurr, Polteageist, Seismitoad, Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, Gengar, Dugtrio, Pelipper, Bisharp, Mimikyu, Mew, Dracovish, Togekiss

Basically, I took the initial stats Marty generated from the first week of the Sword and Shield OU ladder, and cut off everything above 4.52% usage. This is slightly more aggressive than the usual cutoff of 3.41%, which is based on having a 50% chance to encounter a given Pokemon within 20 games. 4.52% instead changes that standard to 15 games. Hopefully this will eliminate some of the things that only have high usage due to “new toy syndrome” and what-not.

Pokemon that are allowed in the speculative tour, but would have been banned if we’d instead used the T=20/3.41% cutoff, are Obstagood, Arcanine, Galarian Weezing, Kommo-o, Eldegoss and Reuniclus. All of these had usage between 3.41 and 4.52%.

The two exceptions are Dracovish and Togekiss. Both of these had usage well below any relevant threshold and theoretically should have dropped to UU. However, both are extremely powerful ‘mons that have been seeing a surge in usage over the past few days. Dracovish in particular has been receiving a ton of attention recently for its ability to 2HKO bulky resists like Ferrothorn and Toxapex with its banded Fishious Rend, and I suspect it will not be UU by the time we have full stats. Togekiss is one of the most threatening dynamax users, especially with a Specs or SubNP set, thanks to its excellent defensive typing/stats and the raw power and speed boosting of Max Airstream, and while it hasn’t been seeing the same crazy surge as Dracovish, it’s definitely picked up a bit in usage.

These stats are already a little out of date, and represent a relatively small sample size, so you should definitely expect UU beta to look a bit different. However, I thought that it was a good way to get some idea of what a Sword and Shield UU meta might potentially look like. Thanks to Twilight and Estarossa for putting the tour together!
 
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